The striker, who has featured in all of Italy’s games in Poland and Ukraine, spent an unhappy two years on the books at Los Blancos. He was shipped out on loan to Sampdoria for the entirety of his second season.

The club set him a 'playing weight', and he was fined for every gram he exceeded it by after his eating habits were perceived to have contributed to his poor form.

Now at AC Milan, Cassano is eager to show Spaniards what they have been missing after they failed to “appreciate” him.

"It would be great to beat the Spanish. My spell at Real Madrid didn't exactly go well. They called me fat and didn't appreciate me, so I am ready to put things in their place,” Cassano told ESPN.

Italy come into the game as underdogs against the reigning world and European champions, and Cassano believes La Roja are at risk of underestimating him and his team-mates.

The Azzurri are the only team yet to fall behind in the competition, and the striker also cited Spain’s recent poor record against Sunday’s opposition; they have won just two of their last 11 matches against Italy.

He continued: "The Spanish believe we are happy just to have got to the final. Maybe they have come to the conclusion that our mission is accomplished. They could not be more wrong.

"The Spanish, like the Germans, are never comfortable against us. We always make them sweat. We won't be intimidated."